Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-03-12

] Stationed IN pO9lLlOA the 6i6L4dl ultA-s
after a signal from the batteries, com
menced giving the assurances Of a
/ friendly vessel. Grasping the handles
OF each Glide he displayed the lights
something In this style: StarbOard, Cnce;
larboard, twice; both lights thrice, and
SO on Then the grim fort showed a
signal which said sail right" and the
successful blockade runner was safe for
the trip.
But I am getting ahead of my story.
] Blockade running was only conducted
on dark nights. When the moon was at
or near its full, or on starit nights, the
''grey-hounds OF the sea- rested supinely
/ in Wilmington or Nassau. On this
night the moon was on the Wane, but
| shOne clear above the trowning ramparts
OF Fort CasWelL Luna, however, finally
disappeared behind the shadow OF the
revolving earth. The night was still,
but there was a ground swell on the wa
| ter which pumped the keel on the gray
/ ely bottom. The fires were banked;
the officers and men eOnversed IN whis-
pers; the captain and both the pilots
were at the Wheelhouse peeriug through
the darkness with night glasses, and the
Atlantic mOaned q weird ocean melody
in the space beyond.
Suddenly a whispered word or two, a
jar, ap apparent Whirling Of lights on
the shore. ''We're OF" whispered a
Scottish deck hand in my ear; snow for
Fort Lafayette or cotton money"
A few sparks from the smOkestack
were commented on uneasily by the cap
tain In a whisper, and the first officer
disappeared through the hRtchway to
caution the stokers. Every light was
out, and except the trembling Of the
boat driven at the rate OF seventeen
miles IN hour there was nothing to give
the idea Of motion. An enormous black
mass on the left betokened the island at
the mouth of the river. We were pass
ing it rapidly, but suddenly vesred di-
rectly for it.
''What are you going that way for?"
1 said, forgetting to whisper. 'S-s-s-shP'
came from three or four desk hands.
The first officer tumbled over the cotton
bales toward me and in angry whisper
told me to shut up.
'You see" said my Scotch friend,
''the pilot saw that cruiser right on the
port bow"
looked through the iDky darkness
and imagined I saw an underlined black
mass over the stern rail.
'If We had KEEP on for three meenits
We wad ha' been blOwed out o. the water,
mon. Sac keep var moOth still OF they'll
put ye doom below"
had got my warning, and 1 content
ed myself with trying to look through
the gloomy pail on both sides and in
front OF the boat The big mass Of the
island grew more defined, when sudden
ly the boat Veered again and stood out
to sea. The speed was sensibly slackened.
''He's feelin' his way" whispered the
Caledonian.
Again the swift steamer took another
tack, and the speed slackensd still more
Il dinna think we'n gang DOT the
NIGHT" continued my mentor. There's
! yin (One) big cruiser DOT there. He
could skirt RIGHT by her easy enough,
but there's anither cot there. See there I
If there's no anither yin still list ayont
her. Ma, ma, Wen no gang out the
nicht'
L was disappointed. The quiet, re-
/ pressed excitement had began to work on
my nerves. a bold dash and pursuit, it
| seemed to me, would be a positive relief.
| Still, that pilot knew his business. Again
the course was altered, the speed in
creased and the saucy blockade runner
darted forward.
The jar of the machinery, driven at
the highest rate Of speed, was audible,
and the boat began to tremble from
stem to stern like living thing.
''He's gaun to try it, after a. Guilds
sake, mon, but he's spunk. See there
We're gaun RIGHT through between them
two. If they see us we're gone"
The Fanny tore through the water
like greyhound. Nearer and nearer
We approached the underlined black mass
OF a cruiser on our right. Then she
turned to the left, and then discovered
the dim outline Of another vessel. An
other turn OF the wheel and We are be-
tween the two, neither more than 300
| yards distant. Away we sped, the thin
bow throwing up a straight Jet of spray
/ which was illuminated with ahoaphOres-
cent sparkles. Three minutes of almost
maddeDing suspense.
A blue light in the black expansei We
are discovered But, what matters 7
They can never catch the Fanny. A
bright, angry Light like the uncOvering
OF vOleRnol
Bangl
The roar and scream Of fiery shell as
it came IN our direction caused all the
hands to stOoP involuntarily. The rush
ing missile passed Us ana exploded about
$50 yards beyond our starboard bow
No whispering now. Everybody talked
the captain laughed and said: "She
can't hit us" And on We sped. An.
other glare and screaming roar, but the
missile fell short without exploding. Nc
other sound broke the stiffness Of the
night We had eluded them. Shortly
afterward crawled into my bunk and
slept sOundly.
I arose about 9 o'clock and p once
saw something transporting that Interest
ed all Oh board. The captain, pilots and
mates were all surveying through thei
glasses a steamer some six miles distant
on our weather bow. The sailors had nc
duties to perform save trimming the
boat by rolling cotton bales from side tc
side, as the pendulum on the forward
cabin indicated an uneven keel, caused
| by the consumption OF coal below, but
they were all gazing at the steamer.
"Ihat's the clsverest screw I ever
saw" said my Scotch friend, as he spai
out his quid and bit of another from &
plug OF Lynchburg tobacco which had
given him. "She was hull down at day.
hcht but she has been gainin' on US a
the while. She's yin o Uncle Sans
cruisers. jamie" he called to another
saiLor. ..is na, the Connecticut 9 scraw 9,